Kavitha attended classes hardly for 20 days before she took the Class X examinations after District Child Protection Unit and Childline officials stopped her marriage and rescued her in November last.
The girl, who hailed from Tirupalaikudi, a fishing hamlet, was studying in the government school in her village when her father, against the wishes of her mother, arranged her marriage. She was to be married to her 24-year-old cousin when the officials intervened and rescued her. Despite being forced to discontinue her studies for nearly three months, Kavitha passed Class X, scoring 392 out of 500 marks, S. Duraimurugan, district child protection officer told The Hindu.
As the girl faced problems at home in continuing her studies, the child protection unit would help her continue studies after accommodating her in a government home here, he said.
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After the officials stopped the marriage, the girl had to stay at home as her father prevented her from going to school. Learning about this, the officials readmitted her into the school, Mr. Duraimurugan said. The girl could have scored more marks had she been allowed to focus on her studies, he said.
Vijaya, another prospective child bride from Mudukulathur and settled in Rameswaram, was rescued before she cleared Class X with total marks of 313. She was to be married to her maternal uncle in November last, when officials intervened twice and rescued her. The girl was under the care of her mother after her father died. The child protection unit had made arrangements to accommodate the girl in a government home here and help her continue studies, he said.
Umadevi left home and went missing on learning that her parents, daily wage workers were arranging for her marriage. She was rescued in Palani and on being handed over, the child protection unit helped her take Class X examinations, Mr. Duraimurugan said. She managed to pass with 268 marks out of 500, he said. The child protection unit would take care of education of the three girls, he said.
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(Names of the girls have been changed to conceal their identity)